Program Requirements
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. The B.A. Honours in Psychology (60 credits) is a specialized program that provides students with an in-depth overview of psychological science, covering the core areas as well as more advanced courses. Students are required to take a 2-term research course and seminar; students also have the option to complete additional research course(s) and/or gain additional training in arts related disciplines (see Program Requirements for details). This program emphasizes practice in the research techniques and statistics used in graduate school and professionally later on. It also provides students with the space to take the additional courses they may need for applying to graduate school in psychology and for completing the undergraduate credits in psychology as specified by the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec (which are required by some graduate psychology programs). Students must apply to the Honours program; admission is selective.
Typically, students apply to the Honours program at the end of U1; students may apply at the end of U2, although there are often fewer seats for students applying in U2 (also the Honours program requirements must be completed within the remaining terms). To be eligible to apply to the BA Honours in Psychology, students must have completed a minimum of 27 graded credits in the academic year prior to applying (fall and winter terms only). All applicants must have taken PSYC 204, PSYC 211, PSYC 212, PSYC 213, PSYC 215 and PSYC 305. Exceptional performance in these courses is a primary criterion for acceptance into the Honours program. In addition to performance in these psychology courses, a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.50 is required to apply. However, since enrolment is limited, the typical CGPA cut-off is ~3.75, although this varies from year to year depending on the applicant pool. Once in the Honours program, students must obtain a GPA of 3.00 in the U2 year to continue in the Honours program for U3. Students are also encouraged to continue to complete a minimum of 27 graded credits in their U2 and U3 academic years. This is also the minimum number of credits required to be eligible for fellowships and awards.
The application is available on the Psychology Department website at: /psychology/undergraduate/current- students/research-opportunities/research-courses.The deadline is specified on the website. Candidates will be informed of the Department's decision via email before classes begin in September.
Awarding of the Honours degree will depend on both CGPA and a minimum grade of B in PSYC 380D1/PSYC 380D2 and PSYC 306. "First Class Honours" is awarded to students who obtain a minimum CGPA of 3.50 and a minimum grade of A- in PSYC 380D1/PSYC 380D2 and PSYC 306. "Honours" is awarded to students with a minimum CGPA of 3.00 and a minimum grade of B in PSYC 380D1/PSYC 380D2 and PSYC 306.
Program Prerequisites (0-6 credits)
Students planning to enter the BA Honours Psychology program, should have completed an introductory course in general psychology, biology and statistics at the CEGEP level. Otherwise, they can complete them in their first year of study at McGill University (see below).
Students who have completed Human Biology or General Biology 1 or 2 in CEGEP would have the recommended biology background. Students who have not completed one of those courses are advised to complete BIOL 115 or BIOL 111 or BIOL 112 during their first year.
McGill Freshman students are recommended to complete the following courses in their U0 year:
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PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to the scientific study of mind and behavior, including basic concepts and methods in psychology while also highlighting the relevance of psychology to everyday life; attachment, aggression, depression, parenting and personality change.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Tchalova, Kristina (Fall)
Fall
2 lectures; 1 conference
Restriction: Not open to students who have passed an Introductory Psychology course in CEGEP: 350-101 or 350-102 or equivalent
3 credits from:
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BIOL 111 Principles: Organismal Biology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : An introduction to the phylogeny, structure, function and adaptation of unicellular organisms, plants and animals in the biosphere.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Hargreaves, Anna; L'Heureux, Anne-Marie; Shapiro, Benjamin Jesse; Hendry, Andrew; Cristescu, Elena (Fall)
Fall
2 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UK or equivalent; or BIOL 115.
This course serves as an alternative to CEGEP objective code 00UK
Labs are held weekly, starting from the second week of term. Attendance at the first lab is mandatory to confirm registration in the course.
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BIOL 112 Cell and Molecular Biology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Dent, Joseph Alan; L'Heureux, Anne-Marie; Schöck, Frieder (Winter)
Winter
2 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory
Labs are held weekly, starting from the second week of term. Attendance at the first lab is mandatory to confirm registration in the course.
This course serves as an alternative to CEGEP objective code 00XU
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking CEGEP objective 00XU or equivalent;or BIOL 115; or AEBI 122
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BIOL 115 Essential Biology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : An introduction to biological science that emphasizes the manner in which scientific understanding is achieved and evolves and the influence of biological science on society. Topics will include cell structure and function, genetics, evolution, organ physiology, ecology and certain special topics that change from year to year.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Woolley, Sarah; Western, Tamara (Fall)
Required Courses (33 credits)
U1
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PSYC 204 Introduction to Psychological Statistics (3 credits) *
Overview
Psychology : The statistical analysis of research data; frequency distributions; graphic representation; measures of central tendency and variability; elementary sampling theory and tests of significance.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Kreitewolf, Jens (Fall) Kreitewolf, Jens (Winter)
Fall and Winter
Restriction: Not open to students who have passed a CEGEP statistics course(s) with a minimum grade of 75%: Mathematics 201-307 or 201-337 or equivalent or the combination of Quantitative Methods 300 with Mathematics 300
This course is a prerequisite for PSYC 305, PSYC 406, PSYC 310, PSYC 336
You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
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PSYC 211 Introductory Behavioural Neuroscience (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : An introduction to contemporary research on the relationship between brain and behaviour. Topics include learning, memory and cognition, brain damage and neuroplasticity, emotion and motivation, and drug addiction and brain reward circuits. Much of the evidence will be drawn from the experimental literature on research with animals.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Britt, Jon (Fall)
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PSYC 212 Perception (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Perception is the organization of sensory input into a representation of the environment. Topics include: survey of sensory coding mechanisms (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory), object recognition, spatial localization, perceptual constancies and higher level influences.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Graham, M. Dean (Fall) Roy, Mathieu (Winter)
Fall 2 Lectures, 1 conference
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PSYC 213 Cognition (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Where do thoughts come from? What is the nature of thought, and how does it arise in the mind and the brain? Cognition is the study of human information processing, and we will explore topics such as memory, attention, categorization, decision making, intelligence, philosophy of mind, and the mind-as computer metaphor.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Johns, Brendan (Fall) Sheldon, Signy (Winter)
Winter
2 lectures, 1 conference
Prerequisite: One previous course in Psychology.
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PSYC 215 Social Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The course offers students an overview of the major topics in social psychology. Three levels of analysis are explored beginning with individual processes (e.g., attitudes, attribution), then interpersonal processes (e.g., attraction, communication, love) and finally social influence processes (e.g., conformity, norms, roles, reference groups).
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Lydon, John (Fall) Hehman, Eric (Winter)
U1 or U2
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PSYC 305 Statistics for Experimental Design (3 credits) **
Overview
Psychology : An introduction to the design and analysis of experiments, including analysis of variance, planned and post hoc tests and a comparison of anova to correlational analysis.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Falk, Carl (Fall) Kreitewolf, Jens; Miocevic, Milica (Winter)
Fall and Winter
Prerequisite: PSYC 204 or equivalent
This course is required of all students who propose to enter an Honours or Major program in Psychology
You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
U2
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PSYC 306 Research Methods in Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The philosophy of science, the methods psychologists use, and how to interpret and evaluate psychological research. The ethical issues in psychological research and how to communicate psychological research in written and visual forms. How to become consumers of psychological science, and to provide building blocks to become expert producers of psychological science.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Palmer, Caroline (Fall) O'Driscoll, Gillian (Winter)
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PSYC 380D1 Honours Research Project Seminar (4.5 credits)
Overview
Psychology : First laboratory research project.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Bartz, Jennifer; Sheldon, Signy; Roy, Mathieu (Fall)
Restriction: Open only to students admitted to the psychology honours program (for details, see:/psychology/undergraduate/current-students/research...);admission is selective.
Students must register for both PSYC 380D1 and PSYC 380D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both PSYC 380D1 and PSYC 380D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
Prerequisite: Departmental permission required.
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PSYC 380D2 Honours Research Project Seminar (4.5 credits)
Overview
Psychology : See PSYC 380D1 for course description.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Bartz, Jennifer; Sheldon, Signy; Roy, Mathieu (Winter)
Winter
Prerequisite: PSYC 380D1
No credit will be given for this course unless both PSYC 380D1 and PSYC 380D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
U2 or U3
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PSYC 439 Correlational Techniques (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The statistical analysis of relations among a number of variables in situations common in psychology. Methods include regression analysis, principal components analysis, and other techniques for modelling the structure of correlation matrices.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Hwang, Heungsun (Fall)
*Advising note for PSYC 204: CEGEP students are exempt from PSYC 204 if they have completed, with a minimum grade of 75%, the following two courses: 1) Quantitative Methods and either 2a) Advanced Quantitative Methods or 2b) Statistics for Social Science. CEGEP students are also exempt from PSYC 204 if they have completed Probability & Statistics or Statistics with a minimum grade of 75%.
Bachelor of Arts students will replace this requirement with 3 credits at the 300 level in one of the following disciplines: Psychology (PSYC), Anthropology (ANTH), Linguistics (LING), or Sociology (SOCI).
**Note: Students who wish to apply to the Honours program in Psychology must complete the required courses above, including PSYC 305 in their U1 year to be eligible for admission. Also, all students must complete a minimum of 27 graded credits in the academic year prior to applying (fall and winter terms only). For additional information about applying to Honours, please refer to the Honours program description.
Complementary Courses (27 credits)
3-9 credits must be completed with the following course(s):
Any 500-level Psychology course
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PSYC 486 Independent Honours
Research 1
(3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Second Honours research project.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisites: PSYC 380D1/D2. Departmental approval is required.
Offered in fall, winter or summer.
For more information, see the Department of Psychology website.
Requires a supervisor, and application.
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PSYC 487 Independent Honours Research 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Third Honours research project.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisites: PSYC 486. Departmental approval is required.
Offered in the fall, winter or summer term.
For more information, see the Department of Psychology website.
Requires a supervisor, and application.
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PSYC 488D1 Independent Honours Research 3 (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Supervised research project with a final written report.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Restriction: Only open to Honours Psychology students.
Students must register for both PSYC 488D1 and PSYC 488D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both PSYC 488D1 and PSYC 488D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
Prerequisites: PSYC 380D1/PSYC 380D2. Departmental approval is required.
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PSYC 488D2 Independent Honours Research 3 (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : See PSYC 488D1 for description.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: PSYC 488D1.
No credit will be given for this course unless both PSYC 488D1 and PSYC 488D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
Restriction: Only open to Honours Psychology students.
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PSYC 492 Special Topics Seminar 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : These seminars are offered by special arrangement between interested Psychology staff and students. Note: A written proposal detailing the plans for the seminar must be approved by the Department Curriculum Committee before the student is permitted to register for this course. This proposal must be received by the Departmental Curriculum Committee well before the beginning of the term for which the seminar is proposed. Consult the Departmental Handbook for additional information.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall or Winter
Restriction: U3 students. Requires departmental approval.
If the 9 credits are not fulfilled with the above courses, the remaining 3-6 credits are to be completed with any 400-level Psychology course.
Note: Students entering Honours in U3 who previously took PSYC 385, PSYC 484 D1/D2 and/or PSYC 485 may use these courses to fulfill the Honours Complementary course
18 credits of Honours courses are to be completed with the following courses:
List A - (Behavioural Neuroscience, Cognition and Quantitative Methods)
6 credits in Psychology from the following:
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NSCI 201 Introduction to Neuroscience 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Neuroscience : An introduction to how the nervous system acquires and integrates information and uses it to produce behaviour.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Darainy, Mohammad (Winter)
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PSYC 301 Animal Learning and Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Contemporary and historical research and theory on animal learning approached from a behavioural, cognitive and biological perspective. Classical and instrumental conditioning, cognitive learning, and biological constraints. The status and history of North American behaviourism will be discussed and compared with cognitive and other approaches.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 302 Pain (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : An introduction to pain research and theory, with emphasis on the interactions of psychological, cultural and physiological factors in pain perception. The role of these factors in clinical pain and its management by pharmacological and non-pharmacological means will be discussed.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Mogil, Jeffrey (Winter)
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PSYC 306 Research Methods in Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The philosophy of science, the methods psychologists use, and how to interpret and evaluate psychological research. The ethical issues in psychological research and how to communicate psychological research in written and visual forms. How to become consumers of psychological science, and to provide building blocks to become expert producers of psychological science.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Palmer, Caroline (Fall) O'Driscoll, Gillian (Winter)
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PSYC 310 Intelligence (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to the evolution and assessment of intelligence. Emphasizes measurement and correlates of the human intellect and the role of environment and heredity in social and race differences in intellectual and adaptive functioning. Evolution of intelligence in vertebrates and other intelligences including practical and emotional intelligence will be covered.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 311 Human Cognition and the Brain (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The course is an introduction to the field studying how human cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, language, learning and memory, planning and organization, are related to brain processes. The material covered is primarily based on studies of the effects of different brain lesions on cognition and studies of brain activity in relation to cognitive processes with modern functional neuroimaging methods.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Masset, Paul (Fall)
Fall
2 lectures; 1 conference
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PSYC 315 Computational Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Application of computational methods to the simulation of psychological phenomena. Comparison of natural and artificial intelligence. Symbolic and neural network techniques. Methods for evaluating simulations.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Johns, Brendan (Winter)
Fall
Prerequisite: 15 credits in any of Psychology, Cognitive Science, Biology, Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science, or Neuroscience.
Restriction: Not open to U0 or U1 students.
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PSYC 317 Genes and Behaviour (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Focuses on current techniques employed to study which genes influence behaviour, and how they do so.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 318 Behavioural Neuroscience 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The physiological bases of motivational states, with respect to feeding, drinking, sexual behaviour, drug use, and aggression. Physiological bases of learning and memory.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Britt, Jon (Winter)
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PSYC 319 Computational Models - Cognition (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to the purpose, design, and role of computational modeling in the cognitive sciences. Domains examined will include memory, categorization, and language. Focus will be on computational models to attain a better theoretical understanding of human behaviour. New trends, including the use of big data and machine learning.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Restrictions: U2 or above. Restricted to students in Psychology, Linguistics and Cognitive Science.
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PSYC 329 Introduction to Auditory Cognition (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Listener's response to sound. Higher-level mental principles including perception, attention, memory, motor control, and emotion. Sensation and perceptual organization of sound. Perception/production of speech, music, and other auditory events.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 340 Psychology of Language (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : A survey of issues in psycholinguistics, focusing on the nature and processing of language (e.g., how we understand speech sounds, words, sentences, and discourse). Also surveyed: language and thought, the biological foundations of language, and first language acquisition.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 341 The Psychology of Bilingualism (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : This course will examine issues in bilingualism, including second language acquisition in children and adults, critical period hypothesis, cognitive consequences and correlates of bilingualism, social psychological aspects of bilingualism, and bilingual education.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Titone, Debra Ann (Winter)
Winter
2 lectures
Prerequisites: Introductory Psychology, and PSYC 340 or introduction to linguistics; or permission of instructor
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PSYC 342 Hormones and Behaviour (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The role of hormones in organization of CNS function, as effectors of behaviour, in expression of behaviours and in mental illness.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 352 Research Methods and Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to research methods and experimental techniques in cognitive psychology for exploring topics such as attention, memory, categorization, reasoning, and language processing.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Farivar-Mohseni, Reza (Fall)
Winter
1 hour lecture, weekly lab
Prerequisite: PSYC 213 and PYSC 305.
Restriction: Open to U2 students or above
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PSYC 353 Research Methods and Laboratory in Human Perception (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to standard psychophysical procedures and data analysis techniques. Modelling behavioural data using various psychophysical methods.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Kreitewolf, Jens (Winter)
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PSYC 403 Modern Psychology in Historical Perspective (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : A survey of the scientific and ideological influences on psychology from its philosophical beginnings through the period of the schools to its modern situation.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Pleszewski, Zbigniew (Fall)
Fall
2 lectures
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PSYC 406 Psychological Tests (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : An introduction to the theory and practice of psychological measurement in health, educational, clinical and industrial/organizational settings. Attention to procedures for developing and validating tests and questionnaires. Techniques include: intelligence tests, projective tests, questionnaires, structured interviews, rating scales, and behavioural/performance tests.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Sadikaj, Gentiana (Fall)
Winter
2 lectures
Prerequisite: PSYC 204 or equivalent
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PSYC 410 Special Topics in Neuropsychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Developments in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychiatry via readings from primary sources. Topics include the neural bases of memory, emotion, social cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases. Integrating knowledge from studies in clinical populations and functional neuroimaging studies.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Ristic, Jelena (Winter)
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PSYC 413 Cognitive Development (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : In-depth exploration of cognitive development in infants and children including knowledge representation and processing, conceptual development, language development, and theories and principles of cognitive development.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Onishi, K (Fall)
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PSYC 415 Electroencephalography (EEG) Laboratory in Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to the use of electroencephalography (EEG) for measuring brain function in behavioural neuroscience experiments. Recording and analyzing EEG data, as well asin designing experiments and interpreting findings using this method. Topics include the neural basis of EEG, recording principles and techniques, EEG data analysis (frequency bands, averaging, sources of noise, filtering, signal to noise), event-related potential analysis (ERP), spectral analysis and time-frequency analysis, data visualization, topographical maps.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 427 Sensorimotor Neuroscience (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : A systematic examination of the sensorimotor system, drawing on models and data from both behavioural and physiological studies. Topics include: cortical motor areas, cerebellum, basal ganglia, spinal mechanisms, motor unit properties and force production, prioception, muscle properties.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Ostry, David J (Winter)
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PSYC 433 Cognitive Science (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The multi-disciplinary study of cognitive science, exploring the computer metaphor of the mind as an information-processing system. Focus on levels of analysis, symbolic modeling, Turing machines, neural networks, as applied to topics such as reasoning, vision, decision-making, and consciousness.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 439 Correlational Techniques (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The statistical analysis of relations among a number of variables in situations common in psychology. Methods include regression analysis, principal components analysis, and other techniques for modelling the structure of correlation matrices.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Hwang, Heungsun (Fall)
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PSYC 443 Affective Neuroscience (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Focus on the neurobiology of emotion, the links between emotion and cognition, and the role of experience and individual differences in emotional states associated with psychopathology.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Bagot, Rosemary (Winter)
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PSYC 444 Sleep Mechanisms and Behaviour (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : This course covers basic biological mechanisms, possible functions and behavioural aspects of sleep. Additional topics include: disorders of sleep, their effects on behaviour and cognition, and treatment approaches; as well as medical, neurological and psychiatric disorders, and drugs, that affect sleep.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Solomonova, Elizaveta (Fall)
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PSYC 470 Memory and Brain (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Memory systems are studied with an emphasis on the neural computations that occur at various stages of the processing stream, focusing on the hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, cerebellum and cortex. The data reviewed is obtained from human, non-human primates and rodents, with single unit recording, neuroimaging and brain damaged subjects.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 502 Psychoneuroendocrinology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : This advanced seminar course offers an in-depth introduction to current topics in psychoneuroendocrinology. Students will read and discuss original scientific literature from human and animal research interrogating the mechanisms by which hormones act in the brain to influence behaviour in health and disease. Students will gain a refined understanding of key concepts in psychoneuroendocrinology, such as negative feedback control and the key neuroendocrine axes and their role in behavioural control. They will apply this knowledge to critically evaluate original scientific literature and generate hypothesis-driven research questions from the scientific literature.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Bagot, Rosemary (Fall)
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PSYC 506 Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : An introduction to cognitive properties and neural mechanisms of human attention. The material will include an overview of the history of attention research, contemporary theories of attention, the varieties of attention, behavioral and neuroimaging experimental methods, the nature of attentional dysfunctions, and the links between attention and other cognitive functions including memory and consciousness.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Ristic, Jelena (Fall)
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PSYC 513 Human Decision-Making (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Interdisciplinary study of decision-making, covering contemporary approaches to understanding how humans compute values and make choices. Measurement of and techniques for assessing variables such as risk and uncertainty, utilities and preferences, reinforcement learning, heuristics and biases, and self-control. Emphasis on quantitative models of decision-making.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Otto, Ross (Fall)
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PSYC 514 Neurobiology of Memory (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Advances in the understanding of the neurobiological bases of fundamental memory processes, such as memory consolidation maintenance, retrieval, and forgetting. The contribution of their dysregulation to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Consideration of findings from a variety of species, spanning insects to humans.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 522 Neurochemistry and Behaviour (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Anatomical, biochemical and physiological aspects of neurotransmitter systems in the brain, current theories of the function of these systems in normal and abnormal behaviour, and the actions of psychotropic drugs.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 526 Advances in Visual Perception (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : We examine in detail the structure of the visual system, and its function as reflected in the perceptual abilities and behaviour of the organism. Parallels are also drawn with other sensory systems to demonstrate general principles of sensory coding.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Winter
2 lectures
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PSYC 529 Music Cognition (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Interdisciplinary study of music cognition, with an emphasis on psychological, computational, and neuroscientific approaches. Focuses on listeners' response to sound, including perception, attention, memory, motor control, skilled performance, and emotional response.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Palmer, Caroline (Winter)
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PSYC 531 Structural Equation Models (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The course introduces basic concepts underlying structural equation models (SEM). SEM, which combine regression analysis and factor analysis, are quite useful and are currently very popular in analyzing data that arise in social, developmental and clinical psychology. The students are expected to get first-hand experiences in fitting SEM, and learn how to interpret and report the results from SEM.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Hwang, Heungsun (Winter)
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PSYC 537 Advanced Seminar in Psychology of Language (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Topics may include: the neural basis of language, evolutionary approaches to language, pragmatics and figurative language processing, disordered language processing, models of spoken word recognition.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 538 Categorization, Communication and Consciousness (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The main challenges that cognitive science faces today, focusing on the capacity to learn sensorimotor categories, to name and describe them verbally, and to transmit them to others, concluding with cognition distributed on the Web.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Harnad, Stevan (Fall)
Prerequisite(s): Student must have completed a 300 level course in one of the following: Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, Computer Science, or Neuroscience.
Restriction(s): Restricted to U2 students or above.
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PSYC 541 Multilevel Modelling (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Basic concepts of multilevel linear and nonlinear models and applying these methods to empirical data.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 545 Topics in Language Acquisition (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Psychological mechanisms and theories of first language acquisition in infancy and early childhood. Topics such as: infant speech perception, acquisition of grammar, word learning, pidgin and Creole languages, critical and sensitive periods, genetic and evolutionary bases of language.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Onishi, K (Winter)
Fall
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PSYC 560 Machine Learning Tools in
Psychology
(3 credits) *
Overview
Psychology : An overview of various methods for understanding and predicting complex and often large datasets, which have been developed in machine learning and statistics. It focuses on the conceptual underpinnings of popular supervised and unsupervised learning methods and the applications of the methods to various datasets from psychology and closely related disciplines (e.g. neuroscience, consumer behaviour, psychiatry) using existing software packages for the methods.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
1. Students who have taken COMP 202 or COMP 204 and who have taken freshman linear algebra and calculus might instead consider taking COMP 551.
2. Students in both psychology and computer science are strongly encouraged to take COMP 551 over PSYC 560.
Restriction(s): Open to U2 students or above. Not open to students who have taken or are taking COMP 551.
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 305
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PSYC 562 Measurement of Psychological Processes (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Intermediate level theory and methods for the measurement of latent variables in psychology and related fields. In-depth coverage of theories of validity and psychometrics as applied in psychology. Introduction to quantitative methods for scale development, use, and evaluation. Discussion of current topics and challenges in psychological measurement and psychometrics.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
* 1. Students who have taken COMP 202 or COMP 204 and who have taken freshman linear algebra and calculus might instead consider taking COMP 551.
2. Students in both psychology and computer science are strongly encouraged to take COMP 551 over PSYC 560.
List B - (Social, Health and Developmental Psychology)
6 credits in Psychology from the following:
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PSYC 304 Child Development (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Psychology of children, covering critical issues, theories, biological underpinnings, experimental methods, and findings in perceptual, cognitive, language, emotional, and social development.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Krol, Sonia (Fall)
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PSYC 328 Health Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : A survey of major issues in health psychology: historical perspective; health effects of stress and stress management; pain mechanisms and management; prevention and management of chronic diseases, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cancer, and immunological disorders. Behaviour change strategies for smoking, weight regulation, physical inactivity, and sexual risk behaviour.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 331 Inter-Group Relations (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The course focuses on the social psychology of societal groups such as racial minorities, aboriginal groups and women. The ideological biases of current theories is first established. This is followed by a review of current theories and finally current controversies are explored including new forms of racism and affirmative action.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Axt, Jordan (Winter)
Winter
2 lectures
Prerequisite: PSYC 215
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PSYC 332 Introduction to Personality (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : This course examines some of the major theories of personality, e.g., those of Freud, Rogers, and Bandura. Empirical research inspired by these theories will also be examined. Topics include the nature of human motivation, the role of the self-concept, and the consistency and stability of personality.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Gaskin, Stephane (Fall)
Winter
3 lectures
Prerequisite: PSYC 100
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PSYC 333 Personality and Social Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The course builds on and is an extension of Social Psychology (PSYC 215). Traditional approaches to person-situation interactions and a more dynamic approach based on recent research on goals and social cognition.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Winter
2 lectures
Prerequisite: PSYC 215
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PSYC 337 Introduction to Psychopathology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : An introduction to major concepts and issues in the study of psychopathology in humans, including major models of etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, assessment, and treatment.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Weinberg, Anna (Winter)
Two lectures
Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken PSYC 338.
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PSYC 339 Introduction to Applied Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Exploration of the conceptual frameworks that underlie different applied psychological disciplines (e.g., educational/school psychology, clinical child and adult psychology, health psychology, forensic psychology, vocational psychology), the nature of the problems addressed by different psychological disciplines, and the tools used for assessment and intervention.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Sullivan, Michael John L (Fall)
Prerequisites: PSYC 100
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PSYC 351 Research Methods and Laboratory in Social Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to the issues, strategies, and applications of various research methodologies in social psychology; methods using both correlational and experimental procedures. Classic and contemporary approaches will be examined.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Hehman, Eric (Fall)
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PSYC 408 Principles and Applications of Psychotherapy (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to the theories, research, and practice of psychotherapy, with a particular focus on cognitive behavioural and related therapies. Discussion of broad topics such as historical perspectives on psychotherapy, the empirical study of psychotherapy, and ethical issues related to psychotherapy. Traditional and contemporary cognitive-behavioural therapies and their application to mood, anxiety, eating, and personality disorders will be reviewed. Current interest topics in psychotherapy (e.g., neurocognitive correlates of change, technology in treatment) will be highlighted.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Racine, Sarah (Fall)
2 lectures
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 337
Restriction: U2 and above
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PSYC 409 Positive Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Didactic instruction and experiential learning in its coverage of three issues central to this field: positive emotions, positive individual traits, and positive institutions. Topics covered include sensory savoring, expressing gratitude, optimism, identifying and building strengths, kindness, and meaning.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisites: PSYC 215 Social Psychology
Note: Permission from instructor is required.
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PSYC 411 Discrimination & Wellbeing in Marginalized Communities (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Examination of research on the associations between discrimination and health, with emphases on how (1) various types of discrimination (e.g., interpersonal, microaggression, online, institutional) impact health and wellbeing and (2) various factors – rooted in individual’s cultural values and beliefs – help provide resilience against the effects of discrimination.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Christophe, Noah Keita (Fall)
Corequisites: PSYC 337
Restrictions: Open to U2 students or above
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PSYC 412 Child Development: Psychopathology
(3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Introduction to the field of behavior disorders of childhood and adolescence, including core issues, theoretical and methodological underpinnings, descriptions and discussions of many disorders, clinical and research data, and treatment approaches. Three major assumptions will be woven through the course.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Christophe, Noah Keita (Winter)
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PSYC 414 Social Development (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Advanced study of the development of social behaviour and social cognition in children. Topics include: socialization, attachment, aggression, exploration, role taking, communication, family and peer relations, self and person perception. The development of these social processes within the framework of three general theories of development: behaviour genetics, learning, and cognitive-developmental.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 436 Human Sexuality and Its Problems (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : This course will deal with typical sexual behavior and its variations. Topics will include the history of sex research, the sexual response cycle, sexual dysfunction, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc. Current research and theory will be emphasized.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
Prerequisite: either PSYC 337 or permission of the instructor
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PSYC 471 Human Motivation (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The course is designed to explore questions such as "Why do people often fail to reach their personal goals?" Current goal-based and need-based theories of human motivation will be reviewed. The instructor will highlight the relevance of motivation research to the domains of education, sports and management.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
3 hours lectures
Prerequisite: PSYC 215
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PSYC 473 Social Cognition and the Self (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : This course examines the social psychological literature emphasizing a) social cognition - how people think about and make sense of their social experiences; and b) self theory - how people create and maintain a sense of identity. These frameworks will be applied to social psychological topics including close relationships, attitudes and self-esteem.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 474 Interpersonal Relationships (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Psychological science approach to interpersonal relationships. Organized in terms of the development of relationships, focusing first on impression formation as a platform for the development of relationships. Then we focus on close relationships, examining interpersonal constructs (intimacy, trust, commitment) and reconsidering social cognitive constructs (attributions, schemas) in an interpersonal context.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Tchalova, Kristina (Fall)
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PSYC 475 Neuroscience of Social Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : The biological underpinnings of human social cognition and behavior, including neural, hormonal, and genetic mechanisms. By integrating multiple levels of analysis (biological, psychological), as well as different perspectives (basic, clinical, applied), the aim is to gain a deeper understanding of classic social psychological processes. Topics will include social cognition/theory of mind, empathy and understanding others, cooperation and prosocial behavior, interpersonal relationships, the self/agency, morality and anti-social behavior as well as basic methodological approaches to the study of social neuroscience and emerging issues in the field.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 483 Seminar in Experimental Psychopathology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Design of experiments in psychopathology, interviewing techniques and clinical diagnosis.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 491D1 Advanced Study: Behavioural Disorders (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : A critical examination of topics in abnormal and clinical psychology. Emphasis will be on analysis of theoretical positions and empirical findings as they relate to both etiology and treatment.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Bradley, Ian (Fall)
3 hours of seminar per week plus a placement at a clinical or specialized educational site.
Prerequisites: PSYC 337
Students must register for both PSYC 491D1 and PSYC 491D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both PSYC 491D1 and PSYC 491D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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PSYC 491D2 Advanced Study: Behavioural Disorders (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : See PSYC 491D1 for course description.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Bradley, Ian (Winter)
Prerequisites: PSYC 337
Students must register for both PSYC 491D1 and PSYC 491D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both PSYC 491D1 and PSYC 491D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
3 hours of seminar per week plus a placement at a clinical or specialized educational site.
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PSYC 507 Emotions, Stress, and Illness (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Emotional effects on peripheral physiology and the development, course, and outcome of physical disorders such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, ulcers, asthma, and cancer.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 509 Diverse Clinical Populations (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Poverty is a significant risk factor for psychological disorder. In this class, we will examine critically research focused on this association, with an emphasis on (a) mechanisms underlying the link between poverty and psychopathology, and (b) development and dissemination of evidence-based treatments for individuals living in poverty. Particular attention will be paid to the research methodologies used to address these questions.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
Restriction: Restricted to graduate students in Psychology and to U3 students enrolled in one of the following programs: BSc; Major in Psychology, BSc; Honours in Psychology, BA; Major Concentration in Psychology, BA; Honours in Psychology, BA; Joint Honours - Psychology Component, or by permission of the instructor.
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PSYC 512 Advanced Personality Seminar (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Advanced topics in personality. Focus on power, status, and dominance and how these are manifested in social behavior. Dominance in nonhuman species, biological substrates of dominance, relations of status and dominance to social cognition, affect, and health; gender, role and cultural influences on dominance.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: PSYC 332 or permission of instructor.
Restrictions: Open to psychology students. Enrolment limited. Students must be in U3 or above. Departmental permission required.
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PSYC 528 Vulnerability to Depression and Anxiety (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : This course will examine in depth cognitive, behavioral, biological, and developmental psychopathology models of the etiology of depression and anxiety. Within each theoretical perspective, core issues, theoretical and methodological underpinnings, and research data will be examined.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 530 Applied Topics in Deafness (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Covers fundamental topics in deafness (sensory, perceptual, cognitive, social, linguistic, education and health issues) from an applied psychological perspective. Lectures and seminar presentations plus field work involving ASL/LSQ.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PSYC 535 Advanced Topics in Social Psychology (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Classic and contemporary readings in a specific content area within social psychology will be assigned in order to examine the sub-area in depth. The focus will vary depending upon the specialty area of the instructor. These areas include interpersonal relationships, intergroup relations, the self, and social cognition.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Axt, Jordan (Fall) Lydon, John (Winter)
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PSYC 539 Advanced Topics in Social Psychology 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Classic and contemporary readings in a specific content area within social psychology. The focus will vary depending upon the specialty area of the instructor, including interpersonal relationships, intergroup relations, the self, and social cognition.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
6 credits at the 300 level or above selected from the following disciplines:
Anthropology (ANTH), Linguistics (LING), Psychology (PSYC), or Sociology (SOCI).